Radiation protection garments are expensive and heavy due to the layer or layers of radiation attenuating material included therein. The attenuating materials and covering are relatively susceptible to mechanical damage and fatigue, both of which shorten the garment's useful life.
Radiation garments are also a potential source of infection and contamination to the persons using them by transferring unhealthful infective or contaminating agents. Many radiation garments are used multiple times during a day by a number of different people. Throughout the day, these radiation garments are repeatedly removed from and then replaced onto a hanger or holder. This causes both exposure to unhealthful agents and mechanical wear and tear.
Prior wall mounted holders or hangers allow radiation garments to rub surfaces, such as a wall, near where they are hung. This causes additional mechanical wear to a radiation garment and can potentially act as a path for transmission of unhealthful agents of various types when a garment is used and reused repeatedly.
Many hangers and mounted holders have narrow contact or bearing regions on which a radiation garment hangs. These narrow contact regions can reduce the useful life of an expensive radiation garment by concentrating mechanical stresses on the shoulder regions of the heavy radiation garments. These stresses promote cracking, tearing and development of pinhole and other separations in a garment's shoulder regions.
Dentists and other medical professionals have become increasingly aware of the potential risks of spreading viruses such as the Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (which cause Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes), microorganisms and antigens which cause or contribute to diseases or autoimmune responses. There are also risks of contamination by chemicals or radiation emitting materials often present in hospitals and radiology clinics.
Many radiation garments, radiation garment hangers, and radiation garment holders have porous surfaces which can absorb viruses, microorganisms, chemicals or other health hazards. Many of the surfaces which contact radiation garments are porous and can also sorb (absorb, adsorb or both) to support and transmit unhealthy agents. Such exchanges can lead to the transmission of such agents between professional service providers and patients who come into contact with a radiation garment.
It is beneficial to have radiation garment holding apparatuses and related methods which attenuate paths of disease and other unhealthful agent transmission, are easily cleaned and disinfected, and extend the useful life of expensive radiation garments.